The 16th ASEAN & Japan High Level Officials Meeting on Caring Societies

Taro Uchida

Director of Youth Consultation Center,

Child and Youth Bureau, Yokohama City

Panel Session:

Collaboration in Health/Welfare Services for Children/Youths Needing

Support, and Capacity Development for Human Resources in Regional

Societies

Support for Youths in Yokohama City

Overview of Yokohama City

Yokohama is the Prefectural Capital of Kanagawa, located in the eastern part of Kanagawa

Prefecture, within a radius of about 30 – 40 km from the heart of Tokyo, which is the

capital of Japan. Yokohama City is a city designated by government ordinance, and has 18

administrative wards. As of October 1, 2018, its total population is 3,740,182, the highest

among all the cities, towns and villages of Japan.

The population for each administrative ward ranges from about 100,000 – 350,000 people.

Policies related to children and youths come under the jurisdiction of the Child and

Youth Bureau

Has one Regional Support Center for Hikikomori

Has one Mental Health and Welfare Center

3 – 6 social workers in charge of mental health and welfare are assigned to each

administrative ward

Implements the Independence Consultation Support Project for the Poor and Needy in

18 administrative ward

Hikikomori

In Japan, ”hikikomori” is defined as a concept related to the phenomenon of avoiding

social participation (attending school including compulsory education, employment

including part-time work, companionship outside of the home, etc.) as a result of various

factors, and of continuing to stay mostly at home for more than six months in principle

(including going out without interacting with others).

It is said that the increase in the number of domestic issues due to the growth of nuclear

families, the concept of dominance over the family from the influence of Confucian

culture, and cultural factors such as social views that place an emphasis on homogeneity,

influence people to become hikikomori. Due to such reasons, the problem of hikikomori is

debated as a mental health issue known as culture-bound syndrome in Japan.

It is also argued that the fact that the link between the educational system and

employment is no longer guaranteed has become one of the factors leading to the

hikikomori problem.

According to surveys conducted by the Cabinet Office, the number of hikikomori youths

in Japan is estimated at 540,000 (2015 survey).

In Yokohama City, according to surveys conducted in FY2017 on the Actual Situation of

Children and Youths in Yokohama City as well as on the living situation of citizens, the

number of hikikomori from 15 to 39 years old is estimated to be 15,000, while the number

of hikikomori from 40 to 64 years old is estimated to be 12,000.

Yokohama Mid-Term Four-Year Plan (2018 – 2021)

Strategy 5 Development of diverse human resources who can create

the future

Policy 29 A city where children and youths are nurtured by the society as

a whole

★Goals and direction of policy

To realize the independence of youths facing difficulties such as

hikikomori, in addition to promoting initiatives for the early detection and

early support of problems, support will be provided in phases

corresponding to the condition of the person in question.

★Current status and challenges

Amidst the increasing trend in the number of youths suffering from

hikikomori, it is important to put in place efforts that contribute to the early

detection of youths facing difficulties and to the provision of appropriate

support for them, as well as initiatives to prevent them from developing

such difficulties to begin with.

★Primary measure 2 Support for youths facing difficulties

Efforts will be made to provide support in phases corresponding to the

condition of the person in question, such as by providing personal

consultation services and a place of belonging to support the independence

of youths facing difficulties such as unemployment and hikikomori, and the

implementation of social experiences and job training at Youth

Consultation Centers, Regional Youth Plazas, Youth Support Stations,

Yokohama Self-reliance School for Young People. Furthermore, visiting

consultations to nearby regions, etc. will also be promoted to prompt

independence-support organizations, etc. to provide support to youths

facing difficulties in the early stages.

Yokohama Mid-term Four-

year PlanSummary

22018 - 2021

◆Yokohama Child / Childrearing Support Services Plan (2015 - 2019)

Area of measures 1

Basic measure (4) Enhancing support for helping young people become independent

Goals / direction of policy

1. Provide sufficient support for consultations through facilities which help young people

become independent.

2. Initiate support of a kind that enables young people experiencing difficulties to take their

first steps towards independence in coordination with a range of social resources.

3. Put in place environments in which each and every child, irrespective of their family

circumstances, can approach their learning with enthusiasm and develop at their own pace,

with the eventual aim of becoming independent individuals.

4. Undertake to make early detection and swift support in society as a whole in regards to

issues surrounding children and young people.

Measure 4 Empowering young people who live under difficult financial circumstances

・Consultation and support projects at Youth Consultation Centers

・Regional Youth Plaza projects

・Youth Support Station projects

・Support through the Yokohama Self-reliance School for Young People

・Development and dispatch of support partners

・Yokohama City Child and Youth Support Council

◆Yokohama City Plan for Measures Against Child Poverty (2016 – 2020)

●Targets

Young people between 15 – 39 years old in general, and

their families

Offers primary consultation on hikikomori regardless of age

●Date of establishment

August 1963

●Consultation/Support methods

Phone consultation, in-person consultation at the Center,

outreach

●Support activities

Group activities, stay-over experience, family seminars,

family psychological education, psychological tests, visits

by youth supporters, etc.

Yokohama City Youth Consultation Center– Fulfilling the Core Functions of Three Organizations

＜Objectives＞While collaborating with organizations, etc. that aim to realize the sound

development of youths, it aims to provide comprehensive consultation for

youths as well as support for their independence and social participation.

Exterior

Consultation room

Regional Youth Plaza

– Functions as a Branch Office of the Youth Consultation Center

while Building Regional Networks＜Objectives＞In addition to providing primary general consultation for puberty and

adolescent problems, and operation as a place of belonging for youths

in the recovery phase from hikikomori, it also aims to collaborate with

organizations such as NPOs and ward governments to implement

support activities for youths in the region, and engage in activities that

are rooted in the region.

<Targets>Young people between 15 – 39 years old

residing in Yokohama City, and their

families

West Youth Plaza

October 2007

(Hodogaya-ku)

South Youth Plaza

November 2008

(Isogo-ku)

North Youth Plaza

March 2010

(Tsuzuki-ku)

East Youth Plaza

March 2013

(Tsurumi-ku)

<Project contents>●Primary general consultation (phone consultation, in-person consultation at the Plaza, etc.)

●Expert consultation for youths facing difficulties, such as hikikomori, in the administrative

wards

●Operation as a place of belonging for youths in the recovery phase from hikikomori

●Implementation of social experiences and job experience programs

●Collaboration with regional support organizations and ward governments, and creation of

community networks

●Development and dispatch of support partners

●Implementation of youth support seminars and consultation sessions for hikikomori, etc.

●Other support projects for youth independence as deemed necessary by the mayor of

Yokohama City

Place of belonging

Regional Youth Support Station – Employment Support Organization

＜Objectives＞

It aims to realize social independence and occupational independence for youths through the building of networks

with the region, corporations, and NPOs, etc., as well as the provision of comprehensive and continuous support

toward the social participation and employment of unemployed youths and socially withdrawn youths.

Shonan Yokohama Youth Support Station

Established: June 28, 2010

＜Targets＞

Young people from 15 – 39 years old and their families

＜Project contents＞

● Consultation (with person in question and parents/guardian) aimed at

realizing occupational independence

●Individual consultation provided by clinical psychologists, etc.

●Implementation of seminars (relearning, building physical strength, etc.), and experiential programs

●Promotion of collaboration with support stations and schools

●Promotion of the acquisition of job qualifications (financial support for acquiring qualifications, etc.)

Yokohama Youth Support Station

Established: December 1, 2006

*Satellite (Kohoku-ku) opened in July 2018

Seminar

Home visits

Family only; person in question is unable to visit the center

Interview at center

Person in question is able to visit the center

Group activities

Able to participate in group activities and daycare

Provision of place of belonging

Social participation experiences

Attending school. Able to make use of social participation experiences and place of belonging

Employment support

Accepts employment support such as support station, Hello Work, etc. Accepts work transition support.

Follow-up for stability

Engaged in general employment regardless of regular/irregular employment (includes employment of people with disabilities)

Youth Consultation Center

Regional Youth Plaza

Youth Support

Station

Revision and application of guidelines on evaluating

and supporting hikikomori (various phases of

hikikomori support)

Yokohama-style Youth Support System

– Providing Phased and Seamless Support Through Collaboration Between

Three Organizations

Staff exchange session

FY2006 Establishment of Child and Youth Bureau

Opening of Yokohama Youth Support Station

FY2007 Opening of West Youth Plaza

FY2008 Start of Yokohama Self-reliance School for Young People

Opening of South Youth Plaza

FY2009 Opening of North Youth Plaza

FY2010 Opening of Shonan Yokohama Youth Support Station

Establishment of Yokohama City Child and Youth Support Council

FY2012 Implementation of First Survey on the Actual Situation of Children and Youths in Yokohama City

Opening of East Youth Plaza

FY2015 Implementation of regional support model project for youths facing difficulties (four wards)

FY2016 Project for the development and dispatch of support partners

FY2017 Start of expert consultation in wards for youths facing difficulties such as hikikomori (18 wards)

Implementation of Second Survey on the Actual Situation of Children and Youths in Yokohama City

FY2018 Implementation of youth support seminars and consultation sessions for hikikomori, etc. (18 wards)

Background of Yokohama City’s Youth Support Measures

Gen

eral

Education

Welfare

Em

plo

ym

ent

Health

and

med

ical care

Private

sector

Youth Consultation Center

Regional Youth Plaza

General Consultation Center for Education

Youth Support Station

Hello Work, facilities related to the promotion of the employment of

people with disabilities

Child Consultation Office

Independence Consultation Support Project for the Poor and Needy by the administrative ward

Life Support Center

Mental health and welfare consultation by the administrative ward, Mental Health and Welfare Center,

medical institutions

Family associations (associations for parties concerned), NPOs, etc.

Child/Family support and consultation by the

administrative ward

Consultation Support Organizations Supporting Each Age Group

Infancy Schooling age

Elementary school

students

Puberty

(Junior high –

school students –

About 18 years

old)

Adolescence

(About 18 – below 30 years

old)

Post-adolescence

(30 – below 40 years old)

Various Youth Support Services Implemented through Collaboration in the Region

Children/YouthsChild welfare, child and family

consultations, youth consultations, etc.

Social welfare

Livelihood protection, poverty, disability

welfare, etc.

Mental healthMental disability welfare, psychiatric treatment, etc.

Employment/LaborHello Work, employment support, etc.

EducationSchools, educational

consultations, etc.

Only some youths are linked to support organizations, while

many youths who need support are not connected to the support

they need. The regional support model project, which aims to

watch over youths in the region and create an environment that

enables support for social participation, is implemented, and

support partners are developed through this program.

As of March 31, 2018, 128 people have been registered as

support partners. In FY2017, a total of 1,144 activities have been

implemented.

Human Resource Development for City Residents to Support

Youths in the Region

Human Resource Development for Youths to Support Other Youths

Supporter training

Illustration

Since FY2007, the Youth Consultation Center has been

implementing the Youth Support Home Visit Project, ahead of

other local governments in Japan. Through this project, university

students and graduate school students, etc. of the same generation

make home visits to hikikomori facing difficulties in leaving their

homes.

From FY2007 to FY2017, 59 youth supporters have been

registered, and have engaged in 763 activities to support 71

people.

Skill Improvement Training for Supporter Development

Understanding and support for hikikomori

Youth support/employment support in the region

Utilization of welfare systems for hikikomori and the disabled

Systems to support the independence of the poor and needy

Youth delinquency and crime

Support for junior and senior high school students and children connected to other

countries

Multifaceted support education

Understanding of family support and key points

Collaboration with the relevant organizations

Thinking about anxiety (exercising resilience)

Current situations of reliance, such as on the Internet, and the response measures

Anger management (responding to those who are unable to control their emotions)

Response when someone says they want to die (knowledge and approach to suicide)

Acts of self-injury during puberty

Understanding and support of children with developmental disorders and schizophrenia

Support for children living with parents who have mental illness

General consultation

Expert support

Primary consultation

Place of belonging

Regular expert consultation at each administrative ward

North Youth Plaza South Youth Plaza West Youth Plaza East Youth Plaza

Youth Consultation Center

Isolated youths in the region and their families

Consultation Offices Nearby for Youths Needing Support and Their Families

Ao

ba

Tsu

zuk

i

Mid

ori

Ko

ho

ku

To

tsuk

a

Sak

ae

Ko

nan

Kan

azawa

Isog

o

Izum

i

Sey

a

Asah

i

Ho

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Min

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Efforts to Provide Support at Places that are Even Closer to the Youths

Youth Consultation Centers

Regional Youth Plazas

Ward Government Offices

Seminars/ Consultation

sessions

Families

Expert support (1 location)

Primary consultation, provision

of place of belonging (4

locations)

Expert consultation

twice a month (18

administrative wards)

Independence Consultation Support

Project for Poor and Needy

Once a year (18

administrative wards)

Initiatives for sound

developmentPlace of belonging for youths,

experiential activities, etc.

Initiatives for

individual supportExpert support organizations,

employment support, etc.

Children and

youths

Fostering and supporting independence and survival

skills toward social participation

Prevention is vital for coping Extension/

PreventionCoping

measures

Region/Society

Integrated and Collaborative Sound Development and Individual

Support in Policy Measures for Children and Youths

(1) Creating a foundation for the growth of children and youths toward promoting social participation

(2) Creating an environment that supports the independence of children and youths facing difficulties

(3) Creating a supportive regional society watching over the growth of all children and youths